The Canterbury Tales

  Thanne seide Melibe: ‘I shal nat konne1711 answere to so manye resons as ye putten to me and shewen. | Seyeth shortly youre wil and youre conseil, and I am al redy to fulfille and parfourne it.’ |

  Thanne dame Prudence discovered1713 al hir wil to him and seide: | ‘I conseille yow’, quod she, ‘aboven alle thinges that ye make pees bitwene God and yow, | and beth reconsiled unto him and to his grace, [1715] | for as I have seid yow heerbiforn, God hath suffred yow to have this tribulacioun and disese1716 for youre sinnes. | And if ye do as I seye yow, God wol sende youre

  adversaries unto yow, | and maken hem falle at youre feet, redy to do youre wil and youre comandementz. | For Salomon seyth: “Whan the condicioun of man is plesaunt and likinge1719 to God, | he chaungeth the hertes of the mannes adversaries and constreineth hem to biseken him of1720 pees and of grace.” [1720] | And I prey yow, lat me speke with youre adversaries in privee place, | for they shal nat knowe that it be of youre wil or youre assent1722; | and thanne, whan I knowe hir wil and hir entente, I may conseille yow the moore seurly.’ |

  ‘Dame,’ quod Melibe, ‘dooth youre wil and youre likinge, | for I putte me hoolly in youre disposicioun1725 and ordinaunce.’ [1725] |

  Thanne dame Prudence, whan she say1726 the goode wil of hir housbonde, she delibered and took avis in hirself, | thinkinge how she mighte bringe this nede unto a good conclusioun and to a good ende. | And whan she saugh hir time, she sente for thise adversaries to come unto hire into a privee place, | and shewed wisely unto hem the grete goodes that comen of pees, | and the grete harmes and perils that been in werre, [1730] | and seide to hem in a goodly1731 manere how that hem oughten have greet repentaunce | of the injurye and wrong that they hadden doon to Melibe hir lord, and to hire, and to hir doghter. |

  And whan they herden the goodliche wordes of dame Prudence, | they weren so surprised and ravisshed1734, and hadden so greet joye of hire, that wonder was to telle. | ‘A, lady,’ quod they, ‘ye han shewed unto us the blessinge of swetnesse, after the sawe1735 of David the prophete; [1735] | for the reconsilinge which we been nat worthy to have in no manere, | but we oghten requeren1737 it with greet contricioun and humilitee, | ye, of youre grete goodnesse, have presented unto us. | Now se we wel that the science1739 and the konninge of Salomon is ful trewe, |

  for he seyth that swete wordes multiplien and encressen freendes, and maken shrewes1740 to be debonaire and meke. [1740] | Certes,’ quod they, ‘we putten oure dede and al oure matere and cause al hoolly in youre goode wil, | and been redy to obeye to the speche and comandement of my lord Melibe. | And therfore, deere and benigne lady, we preyen yow and biseken yow, as mekely as we konne and mowen1743, | that it like unto1744 youre grete goodnesse to fulfille in dede youre goodliche wordes; | for we consideren and knowelichen1745 that we han offended and greved my lord Melibe out of mesure, [1745] | so ferforth1746 that we been nat of power to maken his amendes. | And therfore we oblige1747 and binde us and oure freendes for to do al his wil and his comandementz. | But paraventure1748 he hath swich hevinesse and swich wrathe to usward bicause of oure offense | that he wole enjoine1749 us swich a peine as we mowe nat bere ne sustene; | and therfore, noble lady, we biseke to youre wommanly pitee [1750] | to taken swich avisement1751 in this nede that we ne oure freendes be nat desherited ne destroyed thurgh oure folye.’ |

  ‘Certes,’ quod Prudence, ‘it is an hard thing and right perilous | that a man putte him al outrely1753 in the arbitracioun and juggement and in the might and power of hise enemys. | For Salomon seyth: “Leeveth1754 me, and yeveth credence to that I shal seyn: I seye,” quod he, “ye peple, folk, and governours of holy chirche, | to thy sone, to thy wif, to thy freend, ne to thy brother, [1755] | ne yeve thow nevere might ne maistrye1756 of thy body whil thow livest.” | Now sithen1757 he defendeth that man sholde nat yeve to his brother ne to his freend the might of his body, | by a strenger resoun he defendeth and forbedeth a man

  to yeve himself to his enemy. | And nathelees, I conseille yow that ye mistruste nat my lord, | for I woot wel and knowe verraily that he is debonaire1760 and meke, large, curteis, [1760] | and nothing1761 desirous ne coveitous of good ne richesse, | for ther nis nothing in this world that he desireth, save oonly worship and honour. | Forthermoore I knowe wel and am right seur that he shal nothing do in this nede withouten my conseil, | and I shal so werken in this cause that, by the grace of oure Lord God, ye shul be reconsiled unto us.’ |

  Thanne seiden they with o vois: ‘Worshipful lady, we putten us and oure goodes al fully in youre wil and disposicioun1765, [1765] | and been redy to come, what day that it like unto youre noblesse1766 to limite us or assigne us, | for to maken oure obligacioun1767 and boond as strong as it liketh unto youre goodnesse, | that we mowe fulfille the wil of yow and of my lord Melibe.’ |

  Whanne dame Prudence hadde herd the answeres of thise men, she bad hem go again1769 prively, | and she retourned to hir lord Melibe and tolde him how she fand hise adversaries ful repentant, [1770] | knowelechinge1771 ful lowely hir sinnes and trespas, and how they weren redy to suffren al peine, | requeringe1772 and preyinge him of mercy and pitee. |

  Thanne seide Melibe: ‘He is wel worthy to have pardoun and foryifnesse of his sinne that excuseth nat his sinne | but knowelecheth it and repenteth him, axinge indulgence1774. | For Senek seyth: “There is the remissioun and foryifnesse, whereas the confessioun is; [1775] | for confessioun is neighebore to innocence.” | And he seyth in another place: “He is worthy to have remissioun and foryifnesse that hath shame of his sinne and knowelecheth it.” And therfore I assente and conferme me1777

  to have pees; | but it is good that we do it nat withouten th’assent and wil of oure freendes.’ |

  Thanne was Prudence right glad and joyeful, and seide: | ‘Certes, sire,’ quod she, ‘ye han wel and goodly1780 answerd, [1780] | for right as by the conseil, assent, and help of youre frendes ye han ben stired to venge yow and make werre, | right so withouten hire conseil shul ye nat acorde yow1782 ne have pees with youre adversaries. | For the lawe seyth: “Ther nis nothing so good by wey of kinde1783 as a thing to be unbounde by him that it was ybounde.”’ |

  And thanne dame Prudence, withouten delay or taryinge, sente anon hir messages1784 for hir kin and for hire olde freendes which that were trewe and wise, | and tolde hem by ordre in the presence of Melibe al this matere as it is above expressed and declared, [1785] | and preyde hem that they wolde yeven hire avis and conseil what best were to do in this nede. | And whan Melibees freendes hadde taken hire avis and deliberacioun of the forseide matere, | and hadden examined it by greet bisinesse1788 and greet diligence, | they yave ful conseil for to have pees and reste, | and that Melibe sholde receive with good herte hise adversaries to foryifnesse and mercy. [1790] | And whanne dame Prudence hadde herd the assent of hir lord Melibe and the conseil of his freendes | acorde with hire wil and hire entencioun, | she was wonderly glad in hire herte, and seide: | ‘Ther is an old proverbe’, quod she, ‘seyth that the goodnesse that thow mayst do this day, do it, | and abide1795 nat ne delaye it nat til tomorwe. [1795] | And therfore I conseille that ye sende youre messages, swiche as been discrete and wise, | unto youre adversaries, tellinge hem on youre bihalve | that if they wol trete of1798 pees and of acord, | that they shape hem1799 withouten delay or taryinge to come unto us.’ | – Which thing parfourned was in dede. [1800] | And whanne thise trespassours1801 and

  repentinge folk of hire folies – that is to seyn, the adversaries of Melibe – | hadden herd what thise messagers seiden unto hem, | they weren right glad and joyeful, and answereden ful mekely and benignely, | yeldinge graces and thankinges1804 to hire lord Melibe and to al his compaignye, | and shopen hem1805 with-outen delay to go with the messagers and obeye to the comandement of hire lord Melibe. [1805] | And right anon they tooken hire wey to the court of Melibe, | and tooken with hem somme of hir trewe freendes, to make feith1807 for hem and for to been hire borwes. |

  And whan they were come to the presence of Melibe, he seide hem
thise wordes: | ‘It standeth thus,’ quod Melibe, ‘and sooth it is, that ye, | causelees and withouten skile1810 and resoun, [1810] | han doon grete injuries and wronges to me, and to my wif Prudence, and to my doghter also, | for ye han entred into min hous by violence, | and have doon swich outrage1813 that alle men knowen wel that ye have deserved the deeth. | And therfore wol I knowe and wite of yow1814 | wheither ye wol putte the punisshinge and the chastisinge and the vengeance of this outrage in the wil of me, and of my wif Prudence, or ye wol nat.’ [1815] |

  Thanne the wiseste of hem thre answerde for hem alle and seide: | ‘Sire,’ quod he, ‘we knowen wel that we been unworthy to comen unto the court of so greet a lord and so worthy as ye been, | for we han so gretly mistaken us1818, and han offended and agilt in swich a wise agein youre heye lordshipe | that trewely we han deserved the deeth. | But yet, for the grete goodnesse and debonairetee1820 that al the world witnesseth of youre persone, [1820] | we submitten us to the excellence and benignitee of youre gracious lordshipe, | and ben redy to obeye to alle youre comandementz, | bisekinge1823 yow that of youre merciable pitee ye wol considere oure grete repentaunce and lowe sub-missioun, | and graunten us foryevenesse of oure outrageous

  trespas and offense. | For wel we knowen that youre liberal grace and mercy strecchen hem1825 ferther into goodnesse than doon oure outrageouse giltes and trespas into wikkednesse, [1825] | albeit that cursedly and dampnablely1826 we han agilt agein youre heye lordshipe.’ |

  Thanne Melibee took hem up fro the ground ful benignely, | and received hire obligaciouns1828 and hir bondes by hir othes upon hir plegges and borwes, | and assigned hem a certein day to retourne unto his court | for to accepte and receive the sentence and jugement that Melibe wolde comande to be doon on hem by the causes aforeseid; [1830] | whiche thinges ordeined, every man retourned to his hous. |

  And whan that dame Prudence saugh hir time, she freined1832 and axed hir lord Melibe | what vengeance he thoughte to taken of hise adversaries. | To which Melibe answerde and seide: ‘Certes,’ quod he, ‘I thinke and purpose me fully | to disherite hem of al that evere they han, and for to putte hem in exil for evere.’ [1835] |

  ‘Certes,’ quod dame Prudence, ‘this were a cruel sentence, and muchel agein resoun, | for ye been riche inow and han no nede of oother mennes good, | and ye mighten lightly in this wise gete yow a coveitous name, | which is a vicious thing, and oghte been eschewed of every good man. | For after the sawe1840 of the word of th’Apostle, “Coveitise is roote of alle harmes.” [1840] | And therfore it were bettre for yow to lese so muchel good of youre owene than for to take of hire good in this manere; | for bettre it is to lese good with worshipe, than it is to winne good with vileinye and shame. | And every man oghte to do his diligence and his bisinesse to geten him a good name; | and yet shal he nat oonly bisye him in kepinge of his goode name, | but he shal also enforcen him1845 alwey to do somthing by which he may renovelle his goode name. [1845] | For it is writen

  that the olde goode loos1846 or good name of a man is soone goon and passed, whan it is nat newed ne renovelled. | And as touchinge that ye seyn ye wol exile youre adversaries, | that thinketh me muchel again resoun and out of mesure1848, | considered the power that they han yeven yow upon hemself. | And it is writen that he is worthy to lesen his privilege that misuseth the might and the power that is yeven him. [1850] | And I sette cas ye mighte enjoine1851 hem that peine by right and by lawe | – which I trowe1852 ye mowe nat do – | I seye ye mighte nat putte it to execucioun1853 paraventure; | and thanne were it likly to retourne to the werre, as it was biforn. | And therfore, if ye wole that men do yow obeisance1855, ye moste deme moore curteisly [1855] | – this is to seyn, ye moste yeve moore esy sentences and jugementz. | For it is writen that he that moost curteisly commandeth, to him men moste obeyen. | And therfore I prey yow that in this necessitee and in this nede ye caste yow1858 to overcome youre herte. | For Senek seyth that he that overcometh his herte, overcometh twies. | And Tullius seyth: “Ther is nothing so commendable in a greet lord [1860] | as whan he is debonaire1861 and meke, and appeiseth him lightly.” | And I prey yow that ye wole forbere now to do vengeance, | in swich a manere that youre goode name may be kept and conserved, | and that men may have cause and matere1864 to preise yow of pitee and of mercy, | and that ye have no cause to repente yow of thing that ye doon. [1865] | For Senek seyth: “He overcometh in an ivel manere that repenteth him of his victorye.” | Wherfore I prey yow, lat mercy be in youre herte, | to th’effect and entente that1868 God almighty have mercy on yow in his Laste Jugement. | For Seint Jame seyth in his Epistle: “Jugement withoute mercy shal be doon to him that hath no mercy of another wight.”’ |

  Whanne Melibe hadde herd the grete skiles and resons of

  dame Prudence, and hir wise informaciouns1870 and techinges, [1870] | his herte gan encline1871 to the wil of his wif, consideringe hir trewe entente, | and conformed him1872 anon, and assented fully to werken after hir conseil, | and thonked God, of whom procedeth al vertu and al goodnesse, that him sente a wif of so greet discrecioun. |

  And whan the day came that hise adversaries sholde appieren in his presence, | he spak to hem ful goodly1875 and seide in this wise: [1875] | ‘Al be it so that of youre pride and hye presumpcioun and folye, and of youre necligence and unkonninge1876, | ye have misborn yow1877 and trespased unto me, | yet for as muche as I se and biholde youre grete humilitee, | and that ye been sory and repentant of youre giltes, | it constreineth me to do yow grace and mercy. [1880] | Wherfore I receive yow to my grace, | and foryeve yow outrely1882 alle the offenses, injuries, and wronges that ye have doon agein me and mine, | to this effect and to this ende, that God of his endelees mercy | wole at the time of oure dyinge foryeven us oure giltes that we han trespassed to him in this wrecched world. | For doutelees, if we be sory and repentant of the sinnes and giltes whiche we han trespased in the sighte of oure Lord God, [1885] | he is so free1886 and so merciable | that he wole foryeven us oure giltes, | and bringen us to the blisse that nevere hath ende.’ Amen.

  Heere is ended Chaucers Tale of Melibee and of Dame Prudence.

  THE MONK’S PROLOGUE

  The murye wordes of the Hoost to the Monk.

  Whan ended was my tale of Melibee

  1890 And of Prudence and hire benignitee,

  Oure Hooste seide, ‘As I am feithful man1891,

  And by that precious corpus Madrian1892,

  I hadde levere1893 than a barel ale

  That Goodelief my wif hadde herd this tale!

  1895 For she nis nothing1895 of swich pacience

  As was this Melibeus wif Prudence.

  By Goddes bones, whan I bete my knaves1897,

  She bringeth me the grete clobbed staves1898,

  And cryeth, “Slee the dogges everychon,

  1900 And breke hem bothe bak and every bon!”

  ‘And if that any neighebore of mine

  Wol nat in chirche to my wif encline1902,

  Or be so hardy1903 to hire to trespace,

  Whan she comth hoom she raumpeth1904 in my face,

  1905 And cryeth, “False coward, wrek1905 thy wif!

  By corpus bones1906, I wol have thy knif,

  And thow shalt have my distaf and go spinne!”

  Fro day to night right thus she wol biginne.

  “Allas!” she seyth, “that evere I was shape1909

  1910 To wedde a milksop, or a coward ape1910

  That wol been overlad with1911 every wight!

  Thow darst nat stonden by thy wives right!”

  ‘This is my lif, but if that1913 I wol fighte,

  And out at dore anon I moot me dighte1914,

  1915 Or elles I am but lost, but if that I

  Be lik a wilde leoun foolhardy.

  I woot wel she wol do me sle1917 som day

  Som neighebore, and thanne go my way,

  For I am perilous with knif in honde,

  1920 Albeit that I dar nat hire withstonde,

  For she is big1921 in ar
mes, by my feith;

  That shal he finde that hire misdooth or seyth1922!

  – But lat us passe awey fro1923 this matere.

  ‘My lord the Monk,’ quod he, ‘be mirye of cheere,

  1925 For ye shul telle a tale, trewely.

  Lo, Rouchestre stant1926 heer faste by!

  Rid forth, min owene lord, brek nat1927 oure game.

  But, by my trouthe, I knowe nat youre name;

  Wher shal I1929 calle yow my lord daun John,

  1930 Or daun Thomas, or elles daun Albon?

  Of what hous be ye, by youre fader kin?

  I vow to God, thow hast a ful fair skin!

  It is a gentil pasture ther thow goost;

  Thou art nat lik a penaunt1934 or a goost.

  1935 Upon my feith, thou art som officer,

  Som worthy sextein1936, or som celerer.

  For by my fader soule, as to my doom1937,

  Thou art a maister whan thou art at hom –

  No povre1939 cloisterer, ne no novis,

  1940 But a governour1940, wily and wis,

  And therwithal, of brawnes1941 and of bones,

  A wel-faringe1942 persone for the nones.